You know you should probably weigh yourself, I mean they weigh you for every doctor’s visit so that self-identifying number must be important, right? Is it possible to not be embarrassed when your entire being is standing on a slab of judgment though? Could the days of anxiety pre-weigh-in actually become days of excited anticipation?! Are there ways to help guard yourself against scale-shame such as choosing a different mindset, eating healthy foods, and knowing that you are indeed trying your best? Is it possible to be happy when you step on the scale?!
Yes, I think so!
This girl who has been shutting her eyes during pound-checking doctor visits all her life no longer dreads the numbers looming directly above her weighed-in toes.
This girl who remembers hoping the overweight nurse would check her in and see her too high numbers (because it feels safer if a fellow weight loss sufferer sees your numbers than a size 2 beauty queen) can now breathe easy regardless of if the weight-checking-nurse weighs more or less.
It’s actually rather scary how much weight the scale can hold. I don’t mean literally as in can the scale take me at 110 lbs or 400 lbs. What I mean is, psychologically, that little lifeless object presents a number story that we then attach to our worth story, dang this might be the most psychologically entwined object ever invented.
I can think of no other man-made object that costs less than $20, can be held in two hands, and be found in most homes in America, that causes more grief, anguish, and is at the center of our behavior, journaling, ruminating, and crying.
If the scale has had the best of you, there’s hope to be found. Let’s try to change things around and have the best of it.
Instead of scale-fear, let’s try on scale-happy. Happy just seems so much more pleasant, and lighter on the soul. Hopefully, scale-happy means lighter on the hips as well.
To be scale-happy, it starts with tummy-happy which starts with eating-happy. To give you some confidence, some real, “Well, I feel good no matter what the number says because I am making healthy choices and eating well”, let’s dive into some powerful foods that will make any scale number move in the right direction.
11 Foods That’ll Make You Happy When You Step On The Scale
#1
Step On The Scale Happy With Almonds
Ah, almonds, our little bite-sized crunchers that pack a powerful nutrient punch and give us something delightful to munch. Have you delighted yourself in some almonds lately?
If not, you may like to know that almonds come locked and loaded with antioxidants, have magnesium which may lower blood pressure, and almonds are an awesome weigh-in friendly food because they fill you up and keep hunger far, far away!
If you are shrugging your shoulders thinking about almond recipes, well here are some almond-awesome recipes for you to try this week before your next weigh-in:
- Chocolate Almond Hearts (These will make kids happy too!)
- Almond Crusted Tilapia
- Brussels Sprout Leaves Chorizo Toasted Almonds (Dinner just got a little more exciting!)
- Celery Date Almond Butter Toast
- Banana Almond Smoothie (Heck ya, almonds for breakfast!)
- Marcona Almonds Smoked Paprika
- Almond (or any nut) Milk (This is so much healthier than the store-bought version! And it’s so fun to make your own milk sans milking a cow!)
With almonds looking this good peanuts and cashews better watch out! Ready to go all almond as in all the way to dessert almond?
Check out this highly rated Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook that has almonds making an appearance at every meal. Almond-happy is totally going to translate into scale-happy!
#2
Step On The Scale Happy With Apples
We kinda all know the representative food for letter “A” is good for all of us right?! The problem is how to make apples seem new.
When you’ve been hearing about apples since you first learned to read letter “A” in preschool, by the time you’re an adult you might even give up on finding new appley good recipes. Never fear, apple-fond friend, here are some apple recipes that are so good you’ll be reading and writing about apples all day long!
Want some ideas for eating more apples? Here you go:
- Miso Glazed Chicken Cabbage Apple Slaw Burgers (Yep! Your burgers just got apple-fied!)
- Apple Cheddar Waffle Panini
- Slow Cooker Apple Cider (Being thirsty just got a little more exciting!)
- Kale Apple Almond Chicken Salad
- Apple Chips (Yes, please, and thank you!)
- Apple Sangria
- Spiralized Cinnamon Apples Greek Yogurt (Wowza, move over zucchini, a new star of my spiralizer is here!)
To help you be even more excited about grabbing an apple and eating it up, keep in mind that apples are said to make you feel full (so you won’t eat too many calories), apples may help with lowering risk of heart disease, and some say apples help keep diabetes away!
I know apples and fall go together like snowballs and winter but come on, we need this apple yumminess all year!
To keep your apple menu fresh, you will find tons of apple-lishous recipes in The Apple Lover’s Cookbook which features totally new apple eats such as – are your ready for it – apple pickles!
#3
Step On The Scale Happy With Avocados
I think when people say eating greens is good for you, that avocados should be included. Avocados are so wonderful, I hate living life without them. If I run out of avocados I know it’s time to run to the store.
You might know about the fatty benefits of avocados, but did you also know that avocados are high in fiber, they have antioxidants, and they may relieve symptoms of arthritis!
Eating more avocados might make you feel all soft and gushy inside as you step on the scale and see a ripe number you’ve been working towards for years. Here are some fun ways to have more avocado-goodness in your life:
- Avocado Pickles (This might win the award for why-the-heck-didn’t-I-do-this-a-long-time-ago?!)
- Avocado Spinach Artichoke Dip
- California Grilled Chicken (Is California the avocado state?)
- Chicken Taco Avocados
- Fudgy Avocado Brownies (Oh come here, now! This is when technology needs to become an instant feed-me-through-the-screen-service!)
- Avocado Deviled Eggs
- Avocado Ice Cream (Oh seriously now, the avocado brownies with the avocado ice cream… oh yikes I might turn green with all this green goodness in me!)
Okay, in all honestly, if you are not allergic to avocados if you have access to avocados, and you can afford avocados, please avail yourself of some avocado awesomeness and thank me later.
If you’re looking to go beyond guacamole and avocado toast and enjoy pictures of avocados beautifully popping out at you from your opened cookbook that you have displayed in your kitchen, look no further than this great book – Absolutely Avocados.
Does anyone else like to leave their healthy cookbooks open in the kitchen as a subtle motivation to eat healthy? Those visuals drive the appetite, I’m telling you!
[bctt tweet=”When people say eating greens is good for you, avocados should be included. #avocados” username=”perfectplaying”]
#4
Step On The Scale Happy With Cacao/Cocoa Nibs
If we were sitting and having a chat about weight-loss, you know like chilling in my living room and talking about our health goals gal-to-gal, and suddenly I mentioned my weigh-in victory and thanking cacao nibs for my new low number, you might say, “Um…cocoa what?”
Yes, this is a weird name for a food perhaps, but hey, the name doesn’t affect my waist, only the stuff I push inside my mouth. So, if you see these little black pieces that look like chocolate shavings fresh off a chocolate bar, immediately think, “Oh I know you, you’re my new weight-loss secret!”
Wondering what you can do with cacao/cocoa nibs? Wonder no longer:
- Coconut Cacao Breakfast Bars (Low carb and gluten free, yes, see you at breakfast!)
- Chocolate Coconut Rice Pudding Breakfast
- Candied Cacao Nibs (Hmm can I give this out for Halloween?)
- Cocoa Nib Hot Chocolate
- Cocoa Nib Energy Bites (Dang, I have more energy just looking at these!)
- Cacao Coconut Latte
- Citrus Mango Cacao Nib Toasted Almond Salad (Oh that’s right, citrus goes splendidly with chocolaty stuff!)
Just in case you’re still wondering if these little nibalicious foods are for you, cacao/cocoa nibs come full of cancer-fighting flavonoids, have tons of fiber, and help improve mood by aiding in the release of endorphines.
If you could use a boost in feeling like life is awesome, grab some cacao nibs and start snacking today!
Ready to revolutionize your health with a jolt of cacao nib awesomeness? You can start by diving in spoon first into 75 brain-boosting recipes found in Superfoods for Life, Cacao.
#5
Step On The Scale Happy With Hemp Hearts
I am such a fan of Hemp Hearts! These little bits of yum can be easily added to just about anything you eat and with them come protein, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids (great for skin), and may help reduce PMS and menopause symptoms!
Your heart might just pump for joy the next time you step on the scale after having indulged in hempy heart goodness for even just a few weeks. Here are some great ways to eat up some Hemp Hearts:
- Cheezy Hemp Heart Sauce (Yummo! I’m imagining this in a healthified mac and cheese remix!)
- Raw Tabouli Hemp Heart Salad
- Apple Hemp Heart Muffins (What a wonderful treat to start the day or end the day!)
- Apple Pecan Hemp Hearts Granola
- Hemp Heart Toast (Pretty much anything can go on toast these days!)
- Blueberry Hemp Heart Overnight Oats
- Hemp Heart Chocolate Smoothie (The Hemp Hearts add a nice nutty type texture and flavor!)
Seriously, these little bursts of yum are incredibly versatile and will make you happy from the time you pop them into your mouth to the time you pop on the scale.
If you are willing to try more hemp in your life, but hoping for restaurant quality, grab The Galaxy Global Eatery Hemp Cookbook which features over 200 hemp-ish recipes from a restaurateur on a mission to make hemp a word used at every meal.
#6
Step On The Scale Happy With Kimchi
Have you tried kimchi yet? I came to know kimchi quite well after living in Asia for many years.
This common Korean side dish is often said to be the secret to Korean health. Kimchi helps with digestion, is packed with vitamins A, B, and C, and it has been shown to help stop and prevent yeast infections. I have personally seen kimchi contribute to pounds decreasing on the scale and have felt my immunity go up.
Here are some fantastic ways to incorporate more kimchi into your diet:
- Easy Vegan Kimchi (Wow! What a proud-creative-cooking opportunity to make this!)
- Kimchi Pancakes
- Oven Roasted Kimchi Chicken (What a glorious way to spice up your chicken night!)
- Kimchi Miso Dressing
- Brussels Sprouts Kimchi (Yum another win for the good old Brussels sprouts!)
- Buckwheat Noodles Kimchi Eggs
- Kimchi Spread (Oh this way you can get the benefits of kimchi in all sorts of ways!)
Now I can actually get kimchi very easily in my local area, but if you cannot, good news, Amazon has kimchi!
For those of you ready to get on the popular fermentation train, you will want to check out, cuddle up with, and give to everyone you know, the highly rated Fermented Vegetables cookbook that will make your gut all kinds of happy.
#7
Step On The Scale Happy With Leeks
Leeks can be quite the star during Thanksgiving (they are so great in stuffing!), but they can be healthy for you all year long! Leeks have been linked to helping with cardiovascular health, they have antioxidants to help our blood vessels and blood cells, and have laxative properties.
If you’re looking for pounds to leek away the next time you step on the scale, allow more leek-some recipes to make their way into your weekly diet. Looking to leek-up more? Check out these delicious recipes:
- Ginger Sweet Potato Dal Coconut Leeks (Oh yes!)
- Vegan Cauliflower Leek Casserole
- Chickpea Leek Squash Pancakes (What a wonderful way to eat breakfast!)
- Leek Lemon Barley Pilaf
- Mushroom Leek Fontina Frittata (Probably a brunch winner here!)
- Potato Leek Cheese Soup
- Six Onion Pizza (Oh yeah! Forget those plain old normal multiple-cheeses-on-top pizza and go all onion!)
If you find yourself lacking in the leek department with your regular meal rotation, try any of these mighty-fine recipes this week and get all aboard the leek train!
If you happen to be a leek lover who just has a heart for all things onion-like, get ready to cry happy tears (you now… like when you peel an onion…) and get all the leek-ish recipes your kitchen can hold with the fabulous Onions Etcetera cookbook that’s leeking over with more than 150 recipes.
#8
Step On The Scale Happy With Lemons
Lemons are pretty well known for their vitamin C, but did you know they are often viewed as great weight-loss aids?! Their fiber might help make a person feel full longer, but also these little babies may help prevent kidney stones and that is for sure something nobody wants!
In addition to drinking lemons, here are some great ways to eat lemons:
- Teeny Tiny Lemon Potatoes (Yummo! Potatoes, lemons are coming at ya!)
- Lemon Rice Pudding
- Lemon Edamame Avocado Sandwiches (Yes, I’ll take this for lunch please!)
- Vegan Lemon Curd
- Orzo Arugula Lemon Thyme Salad (Orzo and lemon go together so well!)
- Beet Lemon Tahini Salad
- Lemon Cream Bars (Heck yes, now please!)
Lemons are great for cleaning, eating, and making your house smell great too so you can never go wrong with having some lemons at home.
When you’re ready to freshen up your recipe collection, The Lemon Cookbook will be there to squeeze out all the juicy lemony goodness any recipe can hold.
Recipe and photo by Simple Vegan Blog
#9
Step On The Scale Happy With Lentils
Why lentils? Well, lentils are super budget-friendly, make a fantastic meat alternative (again great for the wallet), are full of fiber, packed with protein, and give you a boost of iron and vitamin B. Lentils can be the star of your dish or filling as a side.
Lentils might be your new weapon for feeling happy when you step on the scale. If you haven’t been making use of this killer staple in your diet lately, go ahead and give it a try with these great recipes:
- Vegan Lentil Curry (Pictured up above! This awesome recipe courtesy of Simple Vegan Blog is sure to make anyone lentil-happy!)
- Brown Rice Lentils Caramelized Onions Fried Egg Bowl
- Lentil Cucumber Olive Salad (Oh yes, lentils done cold!)
- Marinated Lentils & Crunchy Vegetables
- Lentil Cumin Cilantro Lime Puree (Okay, let me put this on everything!)
- Lentil Fritter Pitas
- Mediterranean Lentil Dip (Such a great thing to bring to a party!)
Lentils are so much more than dal or soup! If you incorporate lentils into your diet more regularly, both your waist and your wallet are sure to see great results!
Before your next weigh-in, make as many lentil recipes as you can with The Lentil Cookbook which is sure to put all those lentils hiding in your pantry to good use.
#10
Step On The Scale Happy With Oatmeal
One of the most surprising things for me was meeting people who haven’t ever eaten any oatmeal in their lives! They exist.
Maybe they didn’t know that oatmeal delivers fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds? With heart disease being the leading cause of death, oatmeal is here to give people lower total and LDL cholesterol, which could add up to a person living a longer, healthier life.
Here are some great oatmeal recipes that are for breakfast and beyond:
- Sweet Potato Soyrizo Oatmeal (Yum times a million!)
- Chai Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Bars
- Coconut Latte Overnight Oats (Okay, this is genius!)
- French Toast Overnight Oatmeal
- Vegan Savory Oatmeal With Tempeh-Bacon (Thinking oatmeal might be my new dinner staple!)
- Savory Steel Cut Oats
- Boston Cream Pie Banana Oatmeal (This would be great to serve to overnight guests!)
With oatmeal never looking so good, there are only things to look forward when you put oatmeal on this week’s menu.
If there is a foodie in your life you love and adore (and that foodie could be you!) just be an unforgettable gift-giver and hand over the delectable and life-giving OATrageous Oatmeals cookbook that is basically the key to oatmeal in all its oaty glory.
#11
Step On The Scale Happy With Raspberries
These little red berries are so great for you! Oh little red berries of yum, you are even more amazing when I think about how you also aid in improving fertility, boost my memory, and help me stay well by giving me immunity help.
Raspberries will make your next appointment to step on the scale one worth remembering. I think most people don’t need much convincing to eat raspberries, but just in case, here are some fabulous raspberry recipes to try:
- Raspberry Ripple Coconut Ice Cream (Beautiful!)
- Basil-Raspberry Tea
- Raspberry Chicken (A great way to up your chicken game!)
- Cobb Salad With Raspberry Vinaigrette
- Raspberry Rosewater Smoothie (Rosewater!)
- Raspberry Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Vegan Gluten Free Raspberry Crumble Tart (This would be such a crowd pleaser!)
Aren’t raspberries the best? They can be eaten alone or with so many different things from salads to desserts. If you are looking for a tasty sweet treat that also leaves you smiling when you step on the scale, gobble up some raspberries!
Looking to go all raspberry? And shouldn’t we all?! The Raspberry Delights Cookbook is a cookbook with raspberries featured in quesadillas, cornbread, and even soups!
Stepping on the scale, whether in front of a nurse or at home, can be an event of pride, as crazy as that may sound.
Making intentional choices to eat well, fueling your body with nutrients that keep you strong and your weight in a healthy range, and adding in exciting new recipes to keep you on track, can all be totally doable by incorporating healthy foods into your diet as often as possible.
I hope the next time you step on the scale you are happy with your number and never fear the scale again.
Loving these scale-happy foods?! *Pin* this post so you can slay your scale fears! If you’re looking for even more reasons to get you smiling for that next time you step on the scale, follow Playing Perfect’s Pinterest Page!
Looking for more great foodie finds?! You’ll love these Instant Pot vegetable recipes!
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